How to distinguish influenza from mycoplasma pneumonia?
What is influenza and mycoplasma pneumonia?
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can range from mild to severe and can lead to serious health complications, particularly in high-risk groups such as young children, older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with certain chronic health conditions.
Mycoplasma pneumonia, also known as "walking pneumonia," is a respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It is a type of atypical pneumonia that is generally milder than other forms of pneumonia, although it can still lead to serious complications, especially in children and young adults.
What's the difference between influenza and mycoplasma pneumonia?
| Influenza | Mycoplasma Pneumonia | |
| Pathogen | influenza virus | mycoplasma pneumoniae |
| Infection Site | Upper Respiratory | Lower Respiratory |
| Latent Period | 1~7 Days | 1~21 Days |
| Complications | Pneumonia, nervous system injury, heart injury etc. | Bronchiectasis, endocarditis, pleuritis etc. |
| Transmission | Respiratory droplets; Touching a surface or object that has flu viruses on it and then touching the mouth, eyes or nose. | Person-to-person contact, particularly via infected droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze. |
| Symptoms | Severe systemic symptoms, relatively mild cough or symptoms such as high fever, chills, body aches, muscle swelling, etc | Fever, dry cough, headache, and shortness of breath are the main symptoms, accompanied by headaches, sore throat, ear pain, etc., and there is an asymptomatic period |
| Fever | Mainly characterized by high fever, with a body temperature between 39℃-41℃ | The main symptoms are moderate to high fever, which may manifest as recurrent fever. If the body temperature is between 38.1-39℃ and the fever persists, it indicates that the condition is severe |
How to Distinguish?
Although the symtoms of flu and mycoplasma pneumonia has some difference, but the diagnosis can't only based on the symtoms. To make the diagnosis more accurate, the lab test should not be ignored. The influenza test manufacturer Wizbiotech has developed a rapid flu test to figure out flu A/B virues. Also, for pneumonia test, Wizbiotech has blood mp test to help doctor to diagnose mycoplasma pneumonia. With the help of test result, doctors can make a more accurate diagnosis and treat patient better.
